Interesting topic!  When I saw it, I thought throwing the phone was for effect for us, the audience.  Though sometimes phones survive falls like that, (protective cases, luck)....most people would conclude from the throw and the cracking noise that the phone was detroyed. Nice way to build the tension for the jump.  

But I like the symmetry with Irene's phone; I hadn't thought of that before.  It seems more likely to be linked to Irene faking death+ leaving phone than to the Lady in Pink, though.  The Lady in Pink actually did kill herself.

There's a new, completed story from sevenpercent!  This is the author of

Collateral Damage
Sidelined
Crossfire
The Musgrave Blaze

As reviewed in this thread earlier: "The writing is very good, the cases are elaborate. Her Sherlock is characterised by SDP and other psychological aspects and the friendship with John is strictly non-sexual."

I really like sevenpercent.  She just fininshed a new one:  The Shooting Party.  It has some wonderful Mycroft moments in addition to a fantastic setting.  She takes Sherlock in some completely original directions (in a previous story he's a masterful equestrian and in this story he's one of England's best shots for game birds) that still feel very authentic.   

Also I give sevenpercent highest marks for fully developing a cast of characters around Sherlock and John.  Some fanfic can be a bit myopic; she gives us so much more.  

I just finished a beta read of a couple of Secret Santa stories.  You guys are in for a treat!  They are good stories I think the recipients will enjoy.

Cheers!

Whisky wrote:

Only now getting back to this... thank you for your thoughts

Don't think Moriarty was really suicidal at the pool scene - he didn't HAVE to answer that phone, he chose to. It could have ended there if he had let it happen. But at this point, Moriarty is still intrigued by the game.

Moriarty declares Sherlock his equal in the rooftop scene - even more: Sherlock isn't like him but is him. (I get headaches from this choice of wording...) But for Sherlock, Moriarty is his adversary. Moriarty focuses on what they have in common. Sherlock focuses on the differences.

Even if Sherlock chose the other side, chose to share the angels side, he isn't one of them - and neither is Moriarty. But there is the difference between what you are and what you chose. It makes Sherlock a person John puts up with. John would argue that Sherlock was nothing like Moriarty. Because he can see that Sherlock makes different choices. But Moriarty can see that Sherlock could have been him, and is him, in a way - prepared to do anything. I think Sherlock is aware that Moriarty has a true point there.

On the rooftop, Moriarty isn't so keen on keeping their game going anymore as he was back at the pool. He could have called back the killers, could have continued with Sherlock... like he did at the pool scene. But he doesn't this time. He again chooses what to do - and this time he chose to die. Sherlock told John that Moriarty is in prison because he chose to be there - and dying is also Moriartys choice. Somehow the "you are me" gives him enough reassurance to die.

So I do think Moriarty was looking for an equal not an adversary. And I don't think he thanks Sherlock because Sherlock has proven he can beat him. But more because he isn't better in fact, I think Moriarty thanks Sherlock exactly for being "him", not being more but also not being less. Quite a compliment - or insult, depending on the view.

Remember that earlier in the scene Sherlock is h

That's hilarious.  Love it.  

Is the BBC America cable channel airdate known yet?  Is it the same as the PBS air date?

ancientsgate wrote:

Russell wrote:

....why would he even bother knowing [how to drive]? But if you think about it, it could very well fit with him, too... keeping up certain skills just in case they come up as needed for his work (just like canon Holmes). So it's not that much of a stretch for him to be able to command a car in a pinch. You wouldn't exactly want a stranger driving you to a highly curious location and asking about it.

Maybe I've just read too much fan fic, but aren't Sherlock and Mycroft orginally from the country? Isn't there some kind of country estate where Mummy holds forth, where the kids were raised? If so, that'd be a good reason why Sherlock would know how to drive. I don't know if there's any actual canon about it, but if they weren't city kids, driving around on the estate and then around town and stuff would be very common, even necessary.

 

I think we read the same fan fic  (in which SHerlock is also an excellent horseman, yes?).  If you go with the family originally being from the country, then the Holmeses would know how to drive.  

But generally, I agree that it surprised me that Sherlock was driving given his very urban character.  Whereas with a military background Watson almost certainly knows how to drive.  [I could believe that they had to switch if Martin actually can't drive....but it seems to me that often actors aren't driving especially when it looks like they are.  The cars are on the backs of trailers filled with cameras.  It would be very distracting if an actor actually had to drive a car in filming conditions.]

My experience of the scene had a bit more of a switcheroo aspect becuase I was seeing it as a left-hand-driver-seat American. My process: (exterior driving scene) Ah, John is driving, of course.  Then...(interior driving scene) Wait, it's a British car.  Oh, Sherlock is driving.  Huh??  
 

Russell wrote:

Sherlock Holmes wrote:

kittykat wrote:

You never know, Silver. One day you might meet some of us in person 

When I'm living on my own you can all come to visit 

I was skimming through the thread and totally misread this as "one day you might meet some of us in prison"

BAHAHAHAHA

 
You totally had me laughing for a straight couple seconds. *grins.... then frowns* Wait..... you guys aren't planning on some kind of evil Ben heist are you? Are you??

And SH.... yup! A promo pic... along with this one!


You all watch it now! John's totally giving the side-eye to any mischievous upstarts!

And sj - totally giggling at your comment now, too. Before I saw that, I was going to say to your earlier mention of the coat that yes, but c'mon, he was so proud for picking it out all by himself!!

OK, I love that John gets a scarf in S3 and I totally love that he does not tie it in the "fancy" hacking knot that Sherlock uses.  

tobeornot221b wrote:

I'm so happy for you guys across the pond that you won't have to put up with a long waiting time!  Thus our forum won't be less in danger to crash owing to very differing waiting periods for the majority of our members.

And not to crash the forum today.....but.....WOO HOO American air date!!  January 19th does not feel like forever away.  And there are two Cumberbatch movies to watch in the mean time in theaters.  So, to reiterate: WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!

And I totally sympathize with the Brits becuase y'all should've gotten an air date first for *your* show.  (but adds under her breath: wooooo hooo!!!)

 

Does Benedict play Sherlock with an accent or is it his native/normal/actual accent?  How about Martin?

I have a decent ear for accents but I know that British accents have more layers than I can hear.

Footnote:  Years ago in an American comedy TV show, a British character meeting another Brit for the first time could identify not only the country and city she was from but also the street, and which SIDE of the street and which FLOOR of the building.  A good giggle at our impression of the uncanny way that Brits can often identify each other....